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THOMSON IN TROUBLE, GOLDING TO THE RESCUE
British solo skipper Alex Thomson is in trouble in the Southern Ocean, during leg one of the Velux 5 Oceans. At approximately 03.30 GMT this morning, his yacht Hugo Boss was sailing at 18 knots, in 30 knots of wind, when the keel suffered extreme structural failure and the boat capsized.

"I was in my bunk grabbing a quick power kip when I was suddenly thrown across the cabin as the boat broached. I ran up on deck and went to ease the mainsail but nothing happened. I then went to try and cant the keel, but again nothing happened. By this stage the boat was leaning right over on its side with the spreaders in the water, so I went back down below to look inside the keel box. The section which attaches the rams to the keel had completely snapped off and the keel was swinging freely. I went back up on deck with the boat still on its side. I took all of the sails down and finally the boat righted itself."

"I can't believe it, I am absolutely gutted. I have learnt so much already in this race about how hard to push the boat and when to hold back, in order to maintain the right balance between speed and safety. To have a problem with my keel at this critical stage in the race, something which I have no control over, is absolutely devastating."

Mike Golding (ECOVER), the solo skipper who has turned back to rescue fellow British competitor Alex Thomson, is currently in sight of the stricken Hugo Boss Open 60. The British pair are deep in the Southern Ocean, 1,000 miles southeast off the Cape of Good Hope. Following a severe keel failure onboard Thomson's boat this morning and his subsequent decision to abandon ship, Golding did not hesitate to respond and immediately turn back to assist in an ocean rescue.

At 20:30 GMT, ECOVER had made contact with Hugo Boss. The harsh weather conditions are typical of the Southern Ocean with sleet, snow and winds over 30 knots, although the sea state is stable. Both skippers have been in regular communication with each other and race control to expedite the rendezvous. Together they have taken the decision to wait for sunrise, expected soon after 03:00 GMT, in order to carry out the rescue to ensure the absolute safety of the skippers.

Once the rescue is complete and the skippers are safe, Mike Golding can return to full racing mode again back to Fremantle. He will ask Alex Thomson not to assist in any way and will apply for re-dress to the race committee, meaning that ECOVER will not be penalized as a result of the rescue. The Velux 5 Oceans is raced over 3 legs, with the winner determined by overall elapsed time, and Mike Golding's time will be altered to take into account his courageous rescue. Sadly, this marks the end of the Ultimate Solo Challenge for Alex Thomson on Hugo Boss.

www.velux5oceans.com

TIE AT TOP IN AUDI ETCHELLS WORLDS
Fremantle, Australia: Day 6 of the 2006 Audi Etchells Worlds and young New Zealand champion Alastair Gair snatched victory on the final beat of Race 6 from America's Cup sailing icon John Bertrand. Betrand was leading until the last 400 metres of the 13 mile windward leeward course. With series leader Jud Smith sixth over the line the series is now tied up.

John Bertrand was fast off the line in today's race, a little too fast according to race officials. He cleared out and was at once stage 50 seconds ahead, but the fleet ran him down. It was blowing 25 knots and the seas were steepening as Bertrand led Gair by just 13 seconds round the bottom mark. Gair had surfed down the run, taking ten seconds out of the leader and up the beat Gair found a shift on the right, to sail into the lead.

Second across the line was Britain Ante Razmilovic, three boat lengths behind Gair. As Bertrand crossed five lengths later, the skipper swung round and saw the OCS notification on the 1983 America's Cup tender Black Swan, with the dreaded message Race 6 OCS - 55. In non yachtie terms; 'You broke the start and your score is not 3 but 73.'

But the veteran America's Cup sailor has lodged a protest against the ruling which will be heard shortly.

Jud Smith still leads the regatta, on a count back after his sixth, a good recovery; he was eleventh at the final bottom mark.

Top ten (provisional) after 6 races, 1 discard:
1. Jud Smith/Dirk Kneulman/Andrew Wills/Thomas Saunders, USA, 16 points
2. Alastair Gair/David Ridley/Carl Peters/Derek Scott, NZL, 16
3. Ante Razmilovic/Jez Fanstone/Stuart Flinn, GBR, 25
4. Mark Bradford/Graeme Taylor/Steve Jarvin, AUS, 27
5. Andy Beadsworth/James McHugh/Simon Fry, GBR, 28
6. Craig Healy/Kieth Stahnke/David Gruver, USA, 39
7. Cameron Miles/Phil Smidmore/Dave Samson, AUS, 44
8. Stuart Childerley/Simon Russell/Roger Marino, GBR, 45
9. John Bertrand/Ian Johnson/Tim Ede, AUS, 49
10. Mark Bulka/Stewart Nichols/Steve Young, AUS, 53

www.etchellsworlds2006.org

RICK TOMLINSON CALENDARS
The 2007 Rick Tomlinson Calendars are now available. Rick Tomlinson is one of the world's foremost marine photographers and is responsible for some of the most memorable yachting images ever captured. He has chronicled his experiences over the years through his signature calendar range.

The Portfolio Calendar features the best of Rick's recent work and contains stunning images from around the world. The Desk Calendar is free-standing and is ideal for the home or office.

Both calendars are available for company overprinting or individually - ideal Christmas gifts. All the photographs can be viewed on www.rick-tomlinson.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

MED RED RALLY
The International Committee of the Med Red Rally is glad to announce the 3rd Med Red Rally starting April 4th 2007. The biggest international yacht event in the Mediterranean. Sailing from Turkey though Israel to Egypt and the African coast.

Following the success of the previous years, the committee promises this year's rally to be an outstanding international sailing event, combining sailing along the Eastern Mediterranean including Turkey, Cyprus and Israel, crossing the Suez Canal, and sailing along the coasts of Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.

Med Red Rally 2007 starts in Bodrum Turkey with the Med Fun, a week of sailing, tours and fun along the coast of Turkey, Bodrum-Marmaris-Gocik-Fethiye-Kekova-Finike.

The Med Red Rally will depart from Finike sailing to Cyprus and continue to Israel with option of tours to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

After a festive send-off from Tel Aviv the rally will sail to Port Said, options of day tours to Cairo and Alexandria will be available from there. The rally will continue in a convoy through the Suez Canal. South of Suez the yachts will anchor for a few days at Tawila Island in the Red Sea. The rally will continue to Abu Tig Marina in El Gouna, Egypt's foremost Red Sea resort. An overnight shore trip will set out from Abu Tig to Luxor to visit the famous temples, Valley of the Kings and the tomb of Tutankhamon. Crews will be able to try their hand at sailing a felucca - Nile river boats whose design has remained unchanged since the time of the pharaohs.

From El Gouna the Rally will sail to Sharm-el-Sheik, and the Siani peninsula coast and back through the Suez Canal, returning to Herzeliya for the final party and prize giving.

Med Race a professional yacht race, under the IRC rules. Races will be combined along the rally routes. Sailing instructions will be published on the web site www.med-red-rally.com

TORNADO SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Team Advanced Equities I - Johnny Lovell, New Orleans, La., and Charlie Ogletree, Kemah, Texas - started the Tornado Class South American Championships today with a fifth place finish in Race One. There are 32 boats competing in this regatta in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that is a warm-up event for the Tornado World Championships which start on December 5. France won today's race, Greece 2nd, Argentina 3rd, Holland 4th, USA-Team Advanced Equities I 5th.

Today's race featured light and very shifty conditions with 6-12 knots of air. We sailed a solid race to move up every leg to round the last leeward gate in second. We chose the right side on the last beat and then the wind shifted 30 degrees left ahead of a rain cloud and we lost three boats. A fifth is a "keeper" in this tough fleet and we are looking forward to tomorrow. Race Two today was abandoned due to an 80 degree wind shift on the first beat and a 30-knot storm.

1. FRA Olivier Backes - Paul Sevestre
2. GRE Iordanis Paschaladis - Constantinos Trigonis
3. ARG Santiago Lange - Carlos Espinola
4. NED Mischa Heemskerk - Herbert Dercksen
5. USA John Lovell - Charlie Ogletree

www.cnsi.org.ar/nautica/espanol/resultados.06/tornadosa06_res.htm

AN INVESTMENT IN PERFORMANCE TODAY
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Call your nearest Ullman Sails loft or visit us at www.ullmansails.com

FORGET GPS -- MORNING LIGHT TEAM WILL LEARN THE OLD WAY
Could the Morning Light team find Hawaii without 21st century navigational gadgetry when they sail the Transpacific Yacht Race next July?

After this Thanksgiving weekend they'd stand a fair chance of doing it the way the ancient Polynesians did. The 15 young men and women will spend Friday and Saturday sailing the canoe Hokule'a on day sails out of Honolulu learning the old system from the current master, Nainoa Thompson, and one of their own crew members, Mark Towill, 18, of Kaneohe.

The original plan was to sail from the island of Maui to Oahu via Molokai, but a prospect of adverse weather prompted a change. Instead, they'll sail the 62-foot double-hulled canoe offshore out of the Marine Education Training Center on Sand Island.

Thompson learned the art of natural navigation using the stars by night and the sun, wind and waves by day from Mau Piailug of Satawal, Micronesia and became the first Hawaiian to navigate without any instruments in more than 600 years.

Over three decades Hokule'a has sailed 110,000 miles around the Pacific, and in January Thompson will guide yet another expedition back to Mau's home island to present him with a new voyaging canoe, then continue on to Japan before returning to Hawaii next summer.

In a letter to his Morning Light teammates Towill noted that "Hawaiians trace their roots back to Tahiti, and [Hokule'a's] purpose was to prove that this theory of migration from Tahiti to Hawaii was possible. Polynesian navigation involves a cognitive viewpoint, where the navigator sees the canoe as stationary and turns it in the direction of his destination and then brings the island to the canoe. Mau navigated the canoe without any navigational instruments, and successfully pulled Tahiti out of the sea."

Thompson started teaching the navigation skills to Towill and other Hawaiian youngsters this year and they tested their skills sailing from the island of Kaua'i to Ka'ula, a tiny uninhabited islet about 100 miles to the southwest.

Digital stills and digital video clips of their Thanksgiving experience will be available for download from Nov. 23 at www.papahui.com -- Rich Roberts

More information: www.pacifichighproductions.com

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THE RULES?
If you'd like to feel more confident about racing near other boats, you should get Learn The Racing Rules! This new two-part DVD, written and narrated by David Dellenbaugh, uses live sailing action and computerized animation to explain all the important right-of-way rules in the 2005-2008 rulebook. Part 1 covers the essential rules that apply whenever boats meet. Part 2 explains the often-confusing rules about marks and obstructions. Each is an hour long and includes the text of all rules discussed. Produced by SEA-TV - makes a great gift!

To learn more or place an order, go to www.SpeedandSmarts.com

SHORT TACKS
* We are reliably informed, and very pleased to report, that SNG have now recovered the second piece of the original America's Cup that was not returned to RNZYS after the 1997 repair.

Apparently this second bit is one of the panels from the bulbous part of the America's Cup, and commemorates the deeding of the Cup to the New York Yacht Club by the members of the America syndicate for "friendly competition between foreign countries."

Our congrats again to SNG for seeing this through, and to the gentleman in NZL who apparently saw the legal light and relinquished this piece to the current Defender/Trustee. -- Tom Ehman

Photo at: www.challengercommission.com/2006/11/silvergate.html

* The IRM 2007 Rule text, changes, and spreadsheet are now available on our website www.rorcrating.com

Please note, for the avoidance of confusion, that IRM rules & spreadsheet have no relevance to IRC. -- Jenny Howells, RORC Rating Office

* The countdown to the start of world championship racing in the International Melges 24 Class next spring has started at the Santa Cruz Yacht Club with a significant note: make it the Fullpower Melges 24 World Championship for 2007.

Fullpower Technologies, a new wireless nanotechnology biotech company based in Santa Cruz, is fully onboard as title sponsor for the competition scheduled May 3-12 and can even offer up its founder and CEO, Philippe Kahn, as a hometown favorite -- or his son Samuel (a.k.a. Shark), 17, who won this crown on San Francisco Bay in 2003 when he was only 13. Nicola Celon of Italy also is expected to defend the title he won in a fleet of 119 boats at Hyeres, France last summer. -- Rich Roberts, www.usmelges24.com

* Howth Yacht Club has been officially awarded the Etchells World Championships for 2010. The decision was made at a meeting of the Etchells Class Governors earlier today in Fremantle, Western Australia. -- www.sailing.ie/news/newsDetails.asp?id=1331

* PWA World Tour - Jason Polakow (AUS) charged back up through the ranks but has to settle for second place as Josh Angulo (CPV) lit up the line up on the final day of the 21st PWA Aloha Classic held at Ho'okipa beach park in Hawaii, USA. Iballa Moreno (ESP) was crowned Women's Wave World Champion for the second time in her career. More - www.sailing.org/default.asp?PID=19755

* The qualification system for the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships in Cascais, Portugal has been updated. The Championships, taking place from 28 June-13 July will be the pinnacle event for the Olympic Classes in 2007 with 75% of all the national places for the 2008 Olympic Games to be decided.

The ISAF Council approved the updated qualification system on 11 November 2006 during the ISAF Annual Conference in Helsinki, Finland.

Entry places at the 2007 ISAF Sailing World Championships will be allocated to ISAF Member National Authorities (MNAs) in three ways:

Priority Places - Each MNA is entitled to one entry place in each event, provided that the MNA applies for it before 1 January 2007, and guarantees that the place will be used Additional Places - Up to a maximum of six per event will be allocated based on the finishing positions of competitors from the MNA at the 2005 and 2006 World Championships Commission Places - 20% of the quota for the Additional Places will be allocated to an ISAF Qualification Commission. Entry places not allocated or accepted under the above two ways may also be allocated to the Commission. -- ISAF, www.sailing.org/default.asp?PID=19731

* The Laser SB3 2007 Events Calendar has been released, with the newly formed Irish District Fleet Circuit now featuring. There is also a circuit for Northern UK based boats, plus events in France, Italy and Portugal.

The Season kicks off with the Alassio Melges 24 / Laser SB3 Event in Alassio in Italy, followed by the Primo Cup in Monaco, which expects to see 30 boats taking part.

The full calendar can be viewed on www.ocvision.co.uk/cms/av/pro/10523.xls and on the Class Association website on www.lasersb3.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Letters are limited to 350 words, and you may only write a single letter on a topic. No personal attacks are permitted. We do require your name but your email address will not be published.

* From John Stall: Adrian Morgan took the words out of my mouth. Hardly what you would call prudent seamanship with an impending squall bearing down and you opt to fiddle with your electrics rather than shorten sail ! Especially when sailing solo and with the experience Knox-Johnston has. Sadly pandering to the sponsors has had repercussions with the regional regattas here also. Lets just get on with sailing and allow the sailors dictate the terms!

THE LAST WORD
Today's public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, and there is some evidence that they can't read them either. -- Gore Vidal

OC Events, organisers of two major IMOCA 60 oceanic events, the new double-handed Barcelona World Race 2007, and the original solo transocean race, The Transat 2008 (ex-OSTAR) www.ocevents.org

Over 80,000 boats for sale on www.boats.com

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